Ariane de Bonvoisin

(Transformation/Change Optimist/Inspirational)

Based: Cape Town

I’m so glad you’re here. I am a writer, speaker and change optimist. My books, work and websites are attempts to offer inspiration for people who are committed to learning, growing, seeking knowledge and for those who are on a spiritual path and at the same time, engaged in the world.

My focus is to share insights about living consciously, health, relationships, pursuing a dream, navigating change and overall tools to have a fulfilled life. My hope is also to shine a spotlight on amazing people, products, ideas and initiatives from my travels around the world that I wish everyone knew about.

Ever since I was young, I have wanted to make a difference . . . somehow.

I am doing this for a bigger reason, something that tugs at my heart, knowing that we are in the midst of great change — both personal and global. I am passionate about digging deep, asking different questions, understanding the way life works, what all great spiritual masters and teachings have in common, what is truth vs. illusion, how to live free from suffering and what is worth doing with this life.

In the end, I believe in Universal Love, that all religions and paths carry the Essence of Truth, that All is Well and in Divine Order, and that we are here to love, learn and grow.

I live in New York City, for now, although I feel at home anywhere I happen to land. I’ve actually been traveling for the last few years, in search of knowledge, beauty, wisdom as well as inspiring places from which to write and work from.

I am the founder of several websites, all dedicated to change and transformation. Arianestudio.com is the hub, where I share insights and interviews and where my products and books can be found. (I named it arianestudio as no one has to try to spell my full name!) I have done dozens of TV and radio shows, including The Today Show, the CBS Early Show, Fox and Friends, CNN Radio and ABC. I have written articles for Oprah Magazine, Town & Country, the New York Daily News, Reader’s Digest, Women’s Health and Beliefnet, among others. I’ve been grateful to be featured on over 100 media outlets. I frequently speak and work around the country and abroad on issues of change and spiritual transformation. But ultimately, the inner journey, the path to true freedom and higher consciousness, is the ultimate measure of success for me.

I am currently launching a new iphone app, Mindful365, completing several short eBooks and publishing my next book, A Foot in Both Worlds, on how to bridge the material, crazy world we all live in with the spiritual path. This particular theme is one that is very close to my heart. (Sign up to my email list if you want to be kept in the loop on new releases.)

My most important roles are to be a spiritual traveler, a partner to an amazing man whom I love deeply, a daughter, sister, friend and to have great love for all my fellow beings on this Path. I am passionate about spontaneous travel, healthy food, animals, books, music, inspiring movies, retreats, Bikram yoga, silent time, skiing, the ocean and the magnificence of life.

I’ve had several lives it feels. I’ve been an athlete. I’ve been a management consultant. I’ve worked in the music business, in the internet world. I’ve been a venture capitalist. I’ve worked for a non-profit. I’ve worked on TV, and I’ve also taken a long sabbatical to figure things out! I’ve worked in Europe, Africa, Asia and the US.

It seems like I’ve taken every workshop and seminar possible, read all the books that had some element of truth, wisdom or higher-learning in them since the age of 16. I was (and still am) obsessed with finding real knowledge, why I am here, answering the bigger questions in life, how I can make a difference. I am eternally grateful to all the many teachers of Truth that I have had, and in particular to Patrick Connor and Swami Purna. Thank you. (For more information, see the Resources page.)

After I got a bit lost in the big corporate world and went traveling for a few years to get my soul back, I started my first business, a media company focused on guiding people through all types of changes, both personal and professional. The company, launched its website in 2008, and currently features 60 life-change topics.

I started an online show called ChangeNation, where I interview the world’s experts and change agents to inspire and inform anyone going through specific changes. You can also find it on iTunes. I have also interviewed Nobel Prize winners, which were wonderful moments for me.

I am the author of a book entitled, The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier , published by Harper Collins in May 2008. It has been translated into several languages and reached the bestseller lists on both Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

I have a degree in Economics and International Relations from the London School of Economics, and began my professional career at The Boston Consulting Group and worked in over a dozen countries. After earning an MBA from Stanford University, I moved to New York, and worked with media companies Bertelsmann and Sony. In 2000, I joined Time/Warner as the Managing Director of a new $500 million digital-media venture fund. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, and a stint working with the very talented Charlie Rose, I spent a year as a Senior Advisor on a Humanitarian Project, A Day in the Life of Africa. The project involved the top 100 photojournalists placed in the 53 countries of Africa on a single day.

I’ve spoken at events including Maria Shriver’s Women’s Conference, the Texas and Boston Women’s Conferences, the Health Conference in NYC, keynoted several company functions from the World Bank, Nestle, the Girls Guides, to speaking at High Schools and Graduations and also international conferences. I have attended the wonderful TED conference for over 15 years.

I was a competitive swimmer and a runner in a series of marathons and triathlons. I reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro (barely) and accompanied a group of students to Antarctica, the most amazing place on Earth. I was recently in a documentary movie called The Highest Pass; a spiritual motorcycle journey through the Himalayas and the highest roads in the world. This is probably the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life!

I grew up in six countries and so far have visited over 70 more. Truthfully I am obsessed with traveling! I will go anywhere at anytime for the adventure of being alive, of learning and of meeting people. Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Burma, Brazil, Kenya, The North Pole and The Galapagos are most definitely on the list of what’s still to come.